(1) Field of the Invention
Subject invention is related to underwater towed bodies and more particularly to an apparatus and method for stabilizing an underwater towed body by correcting for its rolling motion.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, an underwater towed body is stabilized against its rolling motion due to a tow cable torque by either; the correcting moment of a weight used as a keel, or by the use of ailerons controlled by a roll sensor. Usually, the tow cable used for a towed body is not torque balanced and a slip joint connection between the towed body and the tow cable is not considered desirable as a water tight slip joint is expensive, complex, and likely to contaminate the acoustic sensor signals which are sent up the tow cable. There is thus a need for a simple and effective way to correct for both coarse and fine rolling motions of the towed body due to the torque of the tow cable.